1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a heat exchange system and, in particular, to a heat exchange system that may, for example, provide cooling to an electrical power generation system and produce distilled water utilizing geothermal energy and/or low grade waste heat.
2. Background Information
A cooling system for a geothermal and/or a low grade waste heat driven power system may include a pre-cooler such as an evaporative cooler or mister that pre-cools ambient air provided to a condenser. A typical evaporative cooler may include an evaporative cooler surface housed within a cooler duct. During operation, water is directed through the cooler surface, and air is directed through the cooler duct. The water may evaporate into the air as the air passes through the cooler surface. Heat energy from the air may be absorbed by heat of vaporization of the evaporating water, thereby cooling the air. The cooling system may also include an evaporative heat exchanger (e.g., an evaporative condenser) with a heat exchanger surface that may be fully or partially covered with water allowing water evaporation at the surface.
Scale may form on the cooler surface and/or the heat exchanger surface where, for example, the water on a portion of the cooler surface and/or the heat exchanger surface completely evaporates. Such scale is formed, for example, where contaminants such as minerals in the water collect on the cooler surface and/or the heat exchanger surface as the water evaporates. The scale may increase pressure drop across the cooler surface and/or the heat exchanger surface and decrease the efficiency of the evaporative cooler and, thus, the geothermal and/or low grade waste heat driven power system.
Potable (e.g., drinking) water typically includes less contaminants than water found in the ocean, a lake, a pond, a stream or an underground well. The evaporative cooler therefore may utilize potable water in order to reduce the formation of scale on the cooler surface. Potable water, however, may be a scarce and highly regulated commodity in many regions of the world and, thus, not available for use in a geothermal power system.